Weft stop motion for narrow ware loom



Dec. 13, 1966 w. FQWAGNER 3, 9 5

WEFT STOP MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOM Filed Oct. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet1 40 u s4 IO 3320 I8 $2 8 8 F|G.|

INVENTOR WILLIAM F. WAGNER QW/JWA ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1966 w. F. WAGNERWEFT STOP MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOM 2 Sheets-fined 2 Filed Oct. 29,1964 F l G. 9

cmcunr T INVENTOR WILLIAM F. WAGNER B ATTORNEY United States Patent3,291,161 WEF'I STOP MOTIUN FUR NARROW WARE LOOM William Frank Wagner,Cheltenham, Pa., assignor to (lrornpton & Knowles Corporation,Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 29, 1964,Ser. No. 467,477 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-371) This invention relates to meansto stop a narrow ware loom in the event the weft breaks or becomesunduly slack.

The lay of a narrow ware loom usually has mounted on it a gang ofshuttle blocks to receive shuttles each of which is moved from one blockto an adjacent block and then back by a reciprocating rack rod. Becauseof the number of shuttles in a loom it has not been thought practicablein the past to equip a loom with a stop motion for each shuttle. This isdue partly at least to the cost of such stopping devices as have beenproposed.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a simple elongatedclosing element on a shuttle effective when unsupported by a welt threadto fall to a position where it can close an electric switch on theshuttle block when moving with the shuttle and thus close an electriccircuit which will stop the loom.

The shuttle block of a narrow ware loom ordinarily has a pinion mountedfor rotation thereon and for engagement with shuttles and thereciprocating rack rod. Part of the block extends forwardly from thepinion to hold the stud on which the pinion turns. The stud eX- tendsthrough the lower part of the block and is usually screw threaded into ametal bar running lengthwise of the lay behind the block.

It is a further object of the invention to secure a socalled microprecision electric switch on the front lower part of some at least ofthe blocks and connect one side of each switch to the associated studand the bar and connect the other side to an insulated conductor runningthe length of the lay and connected to electric loom stopping meanswhich is also connected to the aforesaid bar. Closure of any switch willbe effective to stop the loom.

It is another object of the invention to provide the shuttle with a walllocated at one side of the weft quill space and located to position thedetector when the latter is unsupported by the thread so that it willengage a closing arm of the switch. The wall serves as a stop for thedetector to prevent it from moving out of arm engaging position.

A further object is to provide a detector mounted on a shuttle so thatwhen a weft fault occurs it will fall around a shuttle carried pivot andbe in position to depress a switch arm under the pivot.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a shuttle and ablock for it made as a unit which will have aligned surfaces one ofwhich serves as a stop for the detector and the other of which serves asa guide for the arm which closes the switch. The detector and arm arethus held in positions favorable for cooperation when a weft defectoccurs.

This invention is an improvement on' the stop motion shown in US. patentto A. S. Hutchins No. 2,512,428, Class 139, Subclass 371, which is theclosest art known to me.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is madeto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of part of the lay of a narrow ware loomhaving the invention applied thereto,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the "ice shuttles andshuttle blocks with a stop switch attached thereto,

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 but with the parts in loomstopping position,

FIGURES 4 and 5 are enlargements of a portion of FIGURES 2 and 3respectively showing the relationship of the detector arm and switcharm,

FIGURES 6 and 7 are sections of the shuttle on line 66 and '77 ofFIGURES 2 and 3 respectively,

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section on line 88, FIG- URE 3, and

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of a stopping electric circuit which canbe used with the invention.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 1, the loom lay L has a beam 4 in whicha rack 6 is mounted for horizontal reciprocation by well known means notshown herein. The rack 6 meshes with a series of pinions which in turnmesh with the shuttles. As shown in FIGURE 1 four spaced shuttle blocks8, 9, 10 and 11 are mounted on the lay and each shuttle block hasrotatable therein one of the sheaves 12 meshing with the rack 6. Eachblock has shuttle guiding slots or grooves 14 and 16 and the blocks areso arranged that the curved slot 14 of one block will beconcentric withthe curved slot 16 of an adjacent block. The rack 6 is reciprocated tocause the shuttles to move from one block to another across warp spaces18 in which are located beat-up reeds 20. In FIGURE 1 shuttles S1, S2,S3 and S4 are shown in the blocks 8 to 11 respectively, in readiness formovement to the left.

Each shuttle, one of which is shown more particularly in FIGURE 6, has aquill space 22 across which extends a pin 23 on which is rotatablymounted a quill or spool 24. Weft W is wound on the spool and is fed outunder a detector arm 26 and out through a delivery eye 28 to beincorporated into the cloth.

The lower portion of each shuttle has a lower fiat surface 30 into whichthe ends 3434 of an elongated U-shaped pivot 32 are driven so that theelongated portion 36 between the ends 34-34 is spaced from the surface30. Swingably mounted on the pivot 32 is the detector arm 26 which is inthe form of a U-shaped elongated bar with bent ends 3838 having alignedholes 4747 through which the pivot 32 passes. As the weft W is drawnfrom the spool the detector arm 26 is held in the raised position shownin FIGURES 4 and 6 away from surface 30.

Mounted on lower flat surfaces 31 of some of the shuttle blocks areswitches 33 having operating arms 35 pivoted at 37 and effective, whenmoved in the direction of arrow a, FIGURE 5, to depress a spring loadedplunger 39. Switch closing arms 35 are substantially flush with andmovable in a direction parallel to their respective surfaces 31.

Each of the shuttle blocks is secured to upper and lower metal crossbars 40 and 41 by upper and lower studs 42 and 43 respectively. Thesebars run lengthwise of the lay. Each switch 33 has a lead 45 connectedto its lower metallic stud 43 which makes an electrical contact with themetal cross bar 41 which provides a common ground connection for all theswitches.

Running along the beam 4 just under the shuttle blocks is an insulatedwire 44 which connects electrically at 46 to the side of all theswitches 33 opposite the side connected to bar 41.

A switch may be placed on every block to indicate a broken or slackthread for every beat-up of the lay beam 4, but it may be deemedsufiicient to put a switch on only every other shuttle block. As seen inFIGURE 1, there is a switch on both blocks 8 and 10, but none on 9 and11. Shuttles S1 and S3 are in positions where they can effect stoppingif necessary, but shuttles S2 and S4 are in blocks 9 and 11 which haveno switches attached thereto and cannot cause stopping. On the next beatall the shuttles S1S4 will move to the left in FIGURE 1 from slots 14into slots 16, shuttles S1 and S3 into blocks 9 and 11 and shuttle S2will move into block 10, shuttle S4 will move to a block at the left ofFIGURE 1 (not shown but similar to block in positions to indicate abroken or slack thread and stop the loom. On the following beat shuttleS1 and S3 will swing back to blocks 8 and 10 respectively, where theywill again be in indicating position and shuttles S2 and S4 will swingback to blocks 9 and 11 respectively to be in non-indicating position.Each switch serves two shuttles and the loom can be stopped on any beat.The detector arm 26 will pass over switch arm 35 without moving it aslong as the weft is kept at a certain tension and holds the detector armin the raised position shown in FIGURES 4 and 6.

Since all the shuttles are alike and operate to indicate a slackenedthread, it is only necessary to describe the indicating operation of oneof the shuttles, namely S1, acting with the block 8 to form a shuttleand shuttle block unit. As seen in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6 the weft W hadbroken before the shuttle S1 reached the position shown in FIGURE 3,allowing the detector arm 26 to fall by gravity and also centrifugalforce to the position shown in FIGURE 6 to rest against the flat surface30 of shuttle S1. Since surface 30 of shuttle S1 and surface 31 of block8 are vertically aligned, detector arm 26 is placed in a path causing itto engage switch arm 35 and depress it as shown in FIGURE 5 therebyclosing switch 33 to energize an electric control circuit causing theloom to stop.

An example of circuit means in which switches 33 can cause the loom tostop is shown in FIGURE 9. The circuit includes a power source 48 whichsupplies low voltage direct current to a loom control circuit generallyindicated at 50 connected across power lines L1 and L2 by line 54.

Also connected across lines L1 and L2 are the previously mentionedswitches 33 which are normally open and arranged in parallel. When anyone of the switches 33 is closed due to the slackening of weft in any ofthe shuttles, as previously described, current will be allowed to flowthrough line 44 to energize relay R1. Energization of relay R1 willcause a normally closed contact 52 to open, thus cutting the flow ofcurrent through line 54 to the loom circuit 50 causing the loom to stop.FIGURE 9 is an example of circuit which can be used with the invention,but is not a specific part of the invention. The

loom circuit 50 can be as shown, for instance, in US. Patent No.2,981,295.

I claim:

1. An electric weft detecting system for a narrow ware loom having a layprovided with a shuttle and a shuttle block having a surface which issubstantially vertical when the lay is in forward position, andcomprising, in combination:

(a) an electric switch on said surface secured to said block;

(b) a switch closing arm mounted for pivotal movement relatively to saidswitch extending along said surface and depressible to close saidswitch;

(c) pivot means on the shuttle having an axis extending lengthwise andover said arm when the shuttle is moving in said block;

(d) a detector comprising an elongated generally U- shaped member havingend portions substantially perpendicular to said pivot means and alignedholes through which the pivot means passes, the portion intermediatesaid end portions generally diverging from said pivot means to a pointfartherest removed from said pivot means thereby forming a yarn guidingsurface on the side near said pivot means and a camming surface for saidclosing arm on the side remote from said pivot means; and

(e) means to stop the loom when the switch is closed.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said point is generallycentrally located between said end portions.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lay has a lengthwisemetallic member forming part of said last named means and the block isfastened to the member by a metallic stud connected electrically to oneside of said switch and the means is electric and connected electricallyto the other side of said switch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,512,428 6/1950Hutchins 139371 2,661,028 12/1953 Siegel 139371 2,746,490 5/1956 Hall139371 2,788,025 4/1957 Waterhouse et al. 139-371 2,969,814 1/1961 Heym13937l 3,103,236 9/1963 Bowser 139371 FOREIGN PATENTS 401,650 1/1943Italy. 568,869 11/1957 Italy.

MERVIN STEIN, Primal Examiner.

J. KEECHI, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRIC WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM FOR A NARROW WARE LOOM HAVING A LAYPROVIDED WITH A SHUTTLE AND A SHUTTLE BLOCK HAVING A SURFACE WHICH ISSUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WHEN THE LAY IS IN FORWARD POSITION, ANDCOMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELECTRIC SWITCH ON SAID SURFACESECURED TO SAID BLOCK; (B) A SWITCH CLOSING ARM MOUNTED FOR PIVOTALMOVEMENT RELATIVELY TO SAID SWITCH EXTENDING ALONG SAID SURFACE ANDDEPRESSIBLE TO CLOSE SAID SWITCH; (C) PIVOT MEANS ON THE SHUTTLE HAVINGAN AXIS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE AND OVER SAID ARM WHEN THE SHUTTLE ISMOVING IN SAID BLOCK; (D) A DETECTOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED GENERALLYUSHAPED MEMBER HAVING END PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAIDPIVOT MEANS AND ALIGNED HOLES THROUGH WHICH THE PIVOT MEANS PASSES, THEPORTION INTERMEDIATE SAID END PORTIONS GENERALLY DIVERGING FROM SAIDPIVOT MEANS TO A POINT FARTHEREST REMOVED FROM SAID PIVOT MEANS THEREBYFORMING A YARN GUIDING SURFACE ON THE SIDE NEAR SAID PIVOT MEANS AND ACAMMING SURFACE FOR SAID CLOSING ARM ON THE SIDE REMOTE FROM SAID PIVOTMEANS; AND (E) MEANS TO STOP THE LOOM WHEN THE SWITCH IS CLOSED.